Dialysis

Dialysis Services by SKI

Southwest Kidney Institute (SKI) has dialysis centers across Arizona to support you; we also partner with Davita® to provide dialysis services in even more locations across the state.

Offering the largest home dialysis program in the state, SKI may also be able to provide you in-home treatment. Ask your SKI physician if home dialysis is an option for you. Learn more about home dialysis.

Who Gets Dialysis?

Dialysis is used to treat patients with end stage kidney failure defined as a loss of 85 to 90 percent of kidney function and a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of less than 15. GFR is determined by blood creatinine test, age, body size and gender and helps you and your physician understand your stage of kidney disease. In addition, patients awaiting a kidney transplant often get dialysis treatment.

In rare cases, some kinds of acute kidney failure get better after treatment. In these cases, dialysis may only be needed until the kidneys get better.

What is Dialysis?

When your kidneys are failing, dialysis is a treatment to do the required work of the kidneys to keep your body in balance. Dialysis performs these critical functions:

Removes waste, salt and extra water to prevent build-up in your body

Keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate

Helps to control your blood pressure

What are the Different Types of Dialysis?

Hemodialysis

A treatment that uses a machine to circulate blood through an artificial kidney. The machine precisely mixes purified water, bicarbonate and acid based on the physician’s prescription and sends it to the artificial kidney. Monitors are constantly evaluating your dialysis treatment and will alarm if any condition is out of range ensuring your safety. SKI’s machines can monitor the fluid loss goal, concentrate mix and modeling for bicarb, sodium, temperature and Heparin (a blood thinner). Learn more.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)

A treatment that uses the lining of your abdomen (belly area), called your peritoneum, and a cleaning solution called dialysate to clean your blood. Dialysate absorbs waste and fluid from your blood, using your peritoneum as a filter. Learn more.